Well tubing cleaning apparatus



March 22, 1960 MOONEYHAM ETAL 2,929,454

WELL TUBING CLEANING APPARATUS Filed May 6, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 PANVENTORS Q PMts D. ponvrmwl 9 Havana: L. Mme.

A-rTo M EYS March 22, 1960 J, D. MOONEYHAM ETAL 2,929,454

WELL TUBING CLEANING APPARATUS Filed May 6, 1958 2 SheetsSheet 2 INVENTORS J 4 JAMES D.MOONEYHAM M; BY 6 Hon-mm: LJLmc- Un W P ten WELL TUBWG CLEANING APPARATUS James D. Mooneyilam and Howard L. King, Liberal, Kane, assignors, by mesne assignments, to Liberal Tool Co., Inc.

Application May 6, 1953, Serial No. 733,292 4 Claims. Cl. 166-174) The present invention relates to an apparatus for cleaning parafiin deposits from the inner surfaces of oil well tubings. 'An Object of the present invention is to provide a cleaning apparatus for'oil well tubing which lends itself to rapid and efficient removal of paraffin deposits on the inner walls of well tubing, one which is positive in operation, readily insertable into and withdrawable from 'well tubing in situ, and one which includes means for releasing the cleaning blades from the operative position to an inoperative position uponcatching of any one of the blades on a well tubing joint or other obstruction.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for cleaning well tubing'of deposited foreign material which is simple in structure, sturdily constructed, one economical to manufacture and assemble, and one which is economically feasible.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be fully apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a sectional view of a length of well tubing in situ, with the apparatusof the present invention inserted therein and in inoperative condition;

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1, showing the apparatus of the present invention in operative condition;

Figure 3 is a view on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 33 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a view taken on the line 44 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4, showing the apparatus in inoperative condition;

-Figure 6 is a view taken on the line 66 of Figure 4; and t v Figure 7 is a perspective view, on an enlarged scale, of one of the blade elements per se.

- Referring in greater detail to the drawings, in which like'numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views, the reference numeral 10 designates a well pipe or tubing and the reference numeral 12 designates generally the apparatus of the present invention.

"The apparatus 12 consists in a vertically disposed tubular mandrel or member 14 of a size insertable into and withdrawable'from the tubing. The tubular member '14 is provided with a plurality of slots 16 extending in spaced relation therealong and in staggered relation threabout.

Means is provided on the upper end of the tubular member 14 for attachment of an elevating and lowering mechanism, this means including a plug '18 threadedly engaged in the threaded upper end portion of the tubular member 14 and having an eye formation 20 rising therefrom for the attachment of the lower end'portion of a cable 22. v

The present invention provides a plurality of blade elements 24 each having a shank 26 and a knife edge 28 projecting from one end of the shank 26. Each blade member 14 so that the end of the shank 26 remote from the knife edge 28, and the adjacent portion of the shank which is transversely arranged withrespect to the tubular member 14.

A sleeve 32 extends from the lower end of the tubular member 14 to a point adjacent to the upper end thereof and is circumposed about the tubular member 14 and slidably connected thereto for limited up and down movement. The means connecting the sleeve 32 to the tubular member 34 includes a transversely arranged shear pin 34 which extends through the tubular member 14 and has a portion on each end thereof slidably mounted in the slot 36 provided in the sleeve 32.

Formed in the sleeve 32, at locations spaced longitudinally of the same, are longitudinal slots 38 each of which is in communication with a'slot 16 of the tubular member 14. The blade elements, in this connection,

the pins 31).

' Y 18 in an upper extreme have distal ends that extend into the slots 38. In different positions to which the sleeve is moved longitudinally of the member 14, the bladeele'ments are caused to swing to various positions about the axes defined by In this regard, his to be noted that in Figure 5, the sleeve 32 is so disposed relative 'to the member 14 that the shear pin 34 is engaged against the lower end walls of the slots 36. In these circumstances, the sleeve 32 position of normal adjustment longitudinally of the member 14.

In these circumstances, the blade elements 24 are in the full line positions shown in Figure 5. In such positions, the blade elements 24 all slope upwardly outwardly of the member 14, in fully retracted positions in which the distal ends of the blade elements are disposed in the Slots 38, without projection of the blade element's beyond the outer circumference of the sleeve 32.

It is worthy to note that this positioning of the blade 7 elements willresult by reason of the fact that on movement of the sleeve 32 to its upper extreme, normal position, the bottom edges of the slots 38 will'contact and oammingly bias upwardly the blade elements 24, causing I the blade elements to swing upwardly about the pins on which they are mounted until the blade elements 'are in the full line, Figure 5 positions, fully retracted with the sleeve 32 in its upper extreme, normal position. Any downward movement "o'f'th'e sleeve 32 from its Figure 5 positionwill permit downward swinging move in respect to said member 14 from the Figure 5 position of the sleeve. Thus, and referring now to Figure 4, sleeve 32 is movable downwardly from its Figure 5 'p'osi tion to what may be termed a lower extreme normal position. This position is shown in Figured, and at'this time, the ends of the shear pin 34 are engaged against the upper end walls of the slots 36.

At this time, blade elements 24 are projected horizontally outwardly of 'the member 14 and sleeve 32,

, projecting radially outwardly from the outer 'circum-' element 24 is positioned with respect to the tubular ference of the sleeve 32 so as to be disposed in positions such that they will scrape the deposits from the well casing on upward, conjoint movement of the member 14' and sleeve 32 in the relative 'positit'ms thereof shown Figure 4. J It maythus be considered that as showirin Figure'*'4,

when the sleeve 32 is in a lower extreme, normal position the blade elements 24 are in operative intermediate positions.

At such time as the pin 34 should shear, the sleeve 32 would obviously be freed for further downward movement relative to the member 14, beyond the normal lower extreme position of the sleeve shown in Figure 4. This, in turn, would free the blade elements 24 for further downward movement about their pivot axes, beyond their intermediate, operative positions shown in Figure 4.

As a result, the blade elements 24 would be freed for movement to the dotted line position shown for one of the blade elements in Figure. 5. In this connection, all the blade elements 24 would move conjointly to their dotted line, Figure position, just as they move conjointly to the full line position shown in Figure 5, and the position shown in Figure 4.

When the blade elements 24 move downwardly to their Figure 5, dotted line positions, they may be appropriately considered as being in a lower, inoperative position. With the blade elements 24 in their lower, inoperative positions, the sleeve 32 is in what may appropriately be termed a bottom position, as distinguished from the lower extreme, normal position of the sleeve shown in Figure 4. It may be noted, in this regard, that the blade elements 24, when in their dotted line, Figure 5 positions, interengage the sleeve 32 and member 14, in such a way that downward movement of the sleeve 32 beyond the mentioned bottom position is prevented by engagement of the upper end walls of slots 38 against the top edges of the blade elements 24.

In use, the apparatus is lowered into the well casing, with the component parts in the position shown in full lines in Figure 4. As the apparatus begins to move downwardly into the casing, the sleeve 32 tends to remain in this position, by reason of the fact that it will be in direct contact with the gummy deposits, which tend to restrain the sleeve 32 from moving downwardly relative to the member 14. Actually, in Figure 5 only a very thin layer of deposited material is shown on the well easing. However, in actual working situations in which the device would have to be used, it is entirely possible that the deposit would have been built up to such a thickness that there is a passage therethrough little greater than the diameter of the device. In such instances, the deposit might contact the sleeve 32 at substantially all locations about the circumference of the sleeve, tending to prevent the sleeve from moving downwardly relative to the member 14. In other instances, the device might be permitted free fall downwardly through the casing, in which event the member 14 and sleeve 32 would tend to travel downwardly at the same speed so that the sleeve does not tend to move to its Figure 4 position during the downward movement. In any event, even if the sleeve 32 should tend to move to its Figure 4 position while being lowered into the well casing, noharm would result, since the blade elements would merely rock upwardly from their Figure 4 positions, as the device travels downwardly within the well tubing.

Eventually, the device reaches its selected position within the well tubing, and is ready to begin its return to the surface. At this time, an upward pulling force is exerted upon cable 22, and the result will be that the deposit, tending to engage the blade elements will no longer tend to rock the blade elements upwardly as said deposit would during a lowering action of the entire device. Further, sleeve 32 tends to gravitate to its Figure 4 position and the device now begins its return to the surface with the blade elements in their horizontal, intermediate, operative positions shown in Figure 4 and the knife edges 28 in scraping engagement with the deposited material.

With the blade elements 24 shifted to the horizontal position and the knife edges 28 in scraping engagement with the inner wall of the tubing 10, the apparatus 12 is raised within the tubing 10 to effect the scraping and cleaning operation of the inner wall thereof. Should the apparatus 12 become immobilized within the tubing 10 by reason of one or more of the blade elements 24 engaging in a joint or coupling in the tubing 10, it is only necessary to apply a greater pulling force to the cable 22 which will cause the shear pin 34 to break and permit further downward movement of the sleeve 32 relative to the tubular member 14 so that all of the blade elements 24 assume a downwardly sloping position, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 5. This permits raising of the apparatus 12 with none of the blades or blade elements 24 operative. With the apparatus 12 above the open upper end vof the tubing 10, the shear pin 34 may be replaced and the blade elements 24 moved to their initial position for reinsertion of the apparatus 12 within the tubing 10 for further scraping and cleaning operations.

As shown most clearly in Figure 7. a preferred form of the blade element 24 is shown in which the shank 26 is of block form and the knife blades are of spring steel sharpened on their ends and arranged so as to project from the shank 26 with three blade pieces 40 in edge to edge relation on the upper end of the shank 26 and two blade pieces 40' extending from the lower end of the block form shank 26 to the cutting edge or knife edge 28.

A conical driving plug 42 is threadedly carried on the lower end of the sleeve 32. Provision may be made for adding weights to the apparatus 12 if it is desired to use the apparatus 12 in tubing having dense forma tions of deposited parafiins and tars on the inner wall thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. In an apparatus for cleaning a well tubing, a vertically disposed tubular member adapted to be inserted into a well tubing, means on the upper end of said tubular member for attachment to an elevating and lowering mechanism, said member being provided with a pinrality of slots extending in spaced relation therealong, a plurality of blade elements each having a shank and a knife edge projecting from one end of said shank positioned within said member so that the portion of the shank of each blade element adjacent the end remote from its knife edge is within said member with its knife edge projecting outwardly of a slot and having the end remote from its knife edge connected to said tubular member for pivotal movement about an axis transverse of said tubular member, a sleeve circumposed about said tubular member, and shearable means connecting the sleeve to said member for limited upward and downward movement thereon, said sleeve having a plurality of slots extending in spaced relation therealong, the slots in said sleeve being in registry with the slots in said tubular member, the projecting knife edge of each of the blade elements projecting through and engaging a complemental sleeve slot with the knife edge concealed within said complemental sleeve slot, said blade elements being shiftable from inoperative, first positions in which the sleeve is at one extreme of its limited movement in respect to said member, and in which the knife edges are adja cent to and concealed within the sleeve slots, to operative, second positions in which the sleeve is at the other extreme of said limited movement thereof, and in which the knife edges are perpendicular with respect to said tubular member, the knife edges in said second positions of the blade elements being wholly projected out of the sleeve slots with the portions of the shanks adjacent the knife edges supported upon the walls of the sleeve slots, the sleeve being freed for movement beyond the; lower extreme of its limited movement responsive to shearing of the last-named means, the sleeve biasing all elements slope downwardly outwardly from the sleeve.

2. In an apparatus for cleaning a well tubing, a vertically disposed tubular member adapted to be inserted into a well tubing, means on the upper end of said tubular member for attachment to an elevating and lowering mechanism, said member being provided with a plurality of slots extending in spaced relation therealong, a plurality of blade elements each having a shank and a knife edge projecting from one end of said shank positioned within said member so that the portion of the shank of each blade element adjacent the end remote from its knife edge is within said member with its knife edge projecting outwardly of a slot and having the end remote from its knife edge connected to said tubular member for pivotal movement about an axis transverse of said tubular member, a sleeve circumposed about said tubular member, a shearable pin carried by said tubular member and slidable in a mounting slot formed in said sleeve for connecting said sleeve to said member for limited upward and downward movement thereon, said sleeve having a plurality of slots extending in spaced relation therealong, the slots in said sleeve being in registry with the slots in said tubular member, the projecting knife edge of each of the blade elements projecting through and engaging a complemental sleeve slot with the knife edge concealed within said complemental sleeve slot, said blade elements being shiftable from the positions in which the knife edges are adjacent to and concealed within the sleeve slots to positions in which the knife edges are perpendicular with respect to said tubular member and wholly projected out of the sleeve slots with the portions of the shanks adjacent the knife edges sup ported upon the walls of the sleeve slots responsive to the downward movement of said sleeve on said tubular member.

3. In an apparatus for cleaning a well tubing, a mandrel; a sleeve receiving the mandrel; shearable means connecting the sleeve to the mandrel for movement longitudinally thereof between upper and lower normal extreme positions, said sleeve gravitating below said lower position to a bottom position on shearing of said means; blade elements pivoted at one end upon the mandrel for movement between inoperative upper positions, operative intermediate positions, and inoperative lower positions about axes extending transversely of the mandrel, the mandrel and sleeve being respectively formed with communicating openings having upper and lower end edges engageable with the blade elements at locations spaced longitudinally of the blade elements from the pivot axes thereof, the lower end edges of the sleeve openings being disposed to cammingly bias the to their upper positions into engagement with the upper end edges of the mandrel openings in response to shifting of the sleeve to its upper position, said lower end edges of the sleeve openings supporting the blade elements in their intermediate positions when the sleeve is in its lower position, the blade elements extending between the lower and upper end edges of the openings of the sleeve and mandrel respectively in engagement therewith, in said bottom position of the sleeve, to interengage the sleeve with the mandrel against downward movement of the sleeve beyond the bottom position thereof.

4. In an apparatus for cleaning a well tubing, 21 mandrel; a sleeve slidably mounted upon the mandrel and having diametrically opposed, longitudinal slots; a shear pin mounted on the mandrel and engaged at its ends in said slots so as to connect the sleeve to the mandrel for normal movement longitudinally thereof over a distance determined by the length of the slots, between upper and lower normal extreme positions, said sleeve gravitating below said lower normal position to a bottom position on shearing of said pin; and blade elements pivoted at one end upon the mandrel for move ment between inoperative upper positions, operative intermediate positions, and inoperative lower positions about axes extending transversely of the mandrel, the mandrel and sleeve being respectively formed with communicating longitudinal slots having upper and lower end edges engageable with the blade elements at locations spaced longitudinally of the blade elements from the pivot axes thereof, the lower end edges of the slots of the sleeve being disposed to cammingly bias the blade elements to their upper positions into engagement with the upper end edges of the mandrel openings, in response to shifting of the sleeve to its upper position, said lower end edges of the slots of the sleeve supporting the blade elements in their intermediate positions in the lower position of the sleeve, the blade elements extending between and being engaged with the lower and upper edges of the slots of the sleeve and mandrel respectively, in said bottom position of the sleeve, thus to interengage the sleeve with the mandrel against downward movement of the sleeve beyond the bottom position thereof.

blade elements References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

